-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- More than a quarter-million American women served honorably in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars . These brave women sacrificed much to keep us safe . Now that they are home , or soon to be home , our country has a solemn obligation to help them transition back to civilian life .

Yet there is mounting evidence that America is not fulfilling this obligation . Based on data gathered by the Veterans Affairs and Defense departments , a recent report by Disabled American Veterans finds it clear that our country is n't fully meeting the unique physical , emotional and employment needs of women who served in uniform .

Although they served in equal capacities in combat environments , when they return home they receive less support than their male counterparts from government programs primarily designed for men .

Today , nearly one in five women who are veterans have delayed or gone without necessary health care in the past year . One in 11 is unemployed . Former servicewomen experience homelessness at between two to four times the rate of their civilian counterparts .

It 's unacceptable that the women who honorably served our countryâ $ '' our mothers , spouses , sisters and daughtersâ $ '' are at risk . The DAV report finds that the federal , state and community programs to support women making the transition out of military service have serious gaps that put some of them in jeopardy .

Consider medical care . Today , one-third of the Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers lack a staff gynecologist and 18 % of VA clinics have yet to hire at least one doctor specializing in women 's health .

Mental health services for women are severely lacking . Twenty percent of female patients in the VA health system have been diagnosed with a condition resulting from military sexual trauma , which can have devastating , long-term consequences . Nonetheless , one in three VA health centers does not have enough sexual trauma specialists on staff .

Sadly , we are not doing much better when it comes to helping women gain post-military employment . Former servicewomen are highly skilled , with unique life experiences that give them valuable leadership qualities and the know-how to operate effectively in high-stress situations .

Yet the unemployment rate for female veterans has steadily climbed for most of the past decade , and is now higher than for male veterans . What 's more , two-thirds of women report that the career service help offered by federal agencies has been sub-par .

These problems could soon get worse . The military has started on a major drawdown of personnel . As a result , more than 200,000 servicewomen are expected to rejoin the civilian workforce in the next five years .

Now is the time for action .

In our report , `` Women Veterans : The Long Journey Home , '' DAV outlines 27 key policy and program recommendations that Congress , the administration , VA and the Departments of Defense , Labor , and Housing and Urban Development can take to strengthen the safety net for female veterans .

For starters , veterans ' health centers must meet their obligation to provide specialists in women 's health . At a minimum , every VA medical center must hire a gynecologist . And efforts to treat and help stamp out sexual assault within the military need to be expanded . Officials must intensify their efforts to change any remnants of a culture that comes at the expense of women 's dignity and safety .

To help combat unemployment among female veterans , the Department of Defense must take a hard look at the primary program designed to help veterans go into the civilian labor force : the Transition Assistance Program . The department does not collect data on participation , satisfaction , and outcomes by gender and race . Simply put , the Department of Defense can not tell us if the Transition Assistance Program actually helps female veterans find jobs . Also , the VA and Defense Department need to develop career guidance programs specially designed for women .

Finally , as the VA and Defense work to strengthen services to servicewomen , these agencies need to invest in improved child care options . Inadequate child care is proving to be a major obstacle for many women transitioning home . For example , many are unable to take part in specialized mental health services , such as post-traumatic stress disorder support groups , because child care is unavailable .

Thousands of women answered the call of duty and put themselves at risk to preserve our nation 's security . They served this country faithfully . Serving them with greater respect , consideration and care must become a national priority .

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A quarter-million U.S. women served in Iraq , Afghanistan and are returning to civilian life

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Garry Augustine : They served in combat like men , but get less support than men do

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He says female vets go without health care , many are jobless , many are homeless

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Augustine : VA and DoD need to strengthen services for women , improve child care options